1. Field of the Invention
A motorcycle lift device is adapted to be fitted to any two of three wheeled motorcycle, the motorcycle lift device having an on board air compression generating device providing compressed air to a pair of air driven pistons placed within the existing front forks of the motorcycle requiring no adaptation to the motorcycle other than a replacement cap through which compressed air lines air run, connecting the pistons to the air compression generating device. The pistons are manually activated by a switch mounted in the immediate vicinity of the motorcycle hand grips, the switch activating an air compressor and a solenoid switch directing air to the air lines, extending or retracting the pistons, raising and lowering the height of the motorcycle. This manual and controlled height adjustment allows the motorcycle operator to lower the height of the motorcycle at a stop for more secure footing while at rest with the depression of the switch, and raising the motorcycle to a travel height with a depression of the same switch. A computer controlled version of this device is also disclosed which raises and lowers the height of the motorcycle based upon the speed of the motorcycle.
2. Description of Prior Art
The following United States patents are identified and disclosed herein. Several devices are disclosed relating to motorcycle suspensions and height adjustment means. In a first U.S. Patent to Costa, a front fork adjusting means is disclosed as comprising a leg for engaging a front wheel axle, a lower tube from the leg, an upper tube telescopically engaging the lower tube and coupled to a steering tube, an upper endplug on the upper end of the upper tube, a pushrod depending from the endplug, a first main spring between the leg and pushrod, an annular piston having a valve element for regulating fluid flow between an annular space between the upper and lower tubes and a space in the upper tube above the above the lower tube within the lower tube, as second top out spring, ans perhaps several other springs, the height adjusted by either adding fluid by an undisclosed means or by using a wrench to rotate a threaded stud.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,533,305 to Falk uses a rocker arm externally attached to the forks to raise and lower the front of the bike along with pneumatic springs using an attached air pressure source. Hydropenumatic or other type adjustable shocks are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,533,586 to Thompson, U.S. Pat. No. 6,044,940 to Marzocchi and U.S. Pat. No. 4,015,859 to Hegel, but do not appear to be adapted to be fitted within the front forks of a motorcycle to raise and lower the height of a motorcycle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,815,758 to Yoshida, U.S. Pat. No. 5,201,384 to Kiyota and U.S. Pat. No. 5,348,112 to Vaillancourt are height adjusting devices located on the middle or rear portion of a motorcycle, but also not adapted to be fitted within the existing front forks of a motorcycle. An automatic height adjustment system for a motorcycle including a method of sensing speed and adjusting the height accordingly is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,711,390 to Hikichi, including a rear wheel link mechanism for raising and lowering the rear wheel of the motorcycle.
None of the disclosed patents indicate a height adjusting air cylinder adapted to be placed within the existing forks of a motorcycle with a manually or computer automatically adjusting means for delivering air to the air cylinders which raise and lower the front of the motorcycle by adjusting the height of the front forks during road operation of the motorcycle.